MTA driver arrested after pedestrian fatally hit by bus in Flatbush

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (WABC) -- Police have arrested an MTA bus driver after a man was fatally struck on a Brooklyn street.

The MTA said bus no. 4228 on the B44 line was making a left turn at Farragut Road and New York Avenue in the East Flatbush section at about 6 p.m. Tuesday when it struck 78-year Jean Bonne-Annee, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Wednesday, the 57-year-old driver was arrested on a charge of failing to yield.

Officials with the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office say they believe the driver got a desk appearance ticket and will be in court within the next two months. So he did not go through the entire process of being held overnight and arraigned.

MTA bus drivers were surprised and disappointed to learn their fellow driver was facing charges. TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen issued a statement saying, "To have no culpability on the driver's part, and then to have him arrested, is outrageous."

The MTA released the following statement: "The MTA offers its condolences to the family of the man struck by a B44 bus yesterday evening. The bus operator, a seven-and-a-half-year veteran, is being held out of service while we investigate this collision. The MTA takes bus safety very seriously, and is working closely with the city's Vision Zero initiative. Our enhanced safety efforts include more robust training for bus operators, an upcoming pilot program for new technology to warn pedestrians and bus operators of potential collisions, and new public service announcements to raise awareness of safety risks. Managers are conducting more observational rides to ensure safe bus operation, and safe driving tips have been posted throughout bus depots. The result has been a 14 percent reduction in bus collisions involving pedestrians and a 6 percent reduction in bus collisions involving bicyclists."